The dreaded belly fat of later life

Based on the fact that belly fat ads constantly pop up on the Internet, I’m going to assume that this is a problem that plagues a large percentage of the American population (and many of our readers). 

Having too much belly fat is a true first-world problem. There are definitely more important things to worry about. 

Nonetheless, it’s annoying and obesity is certainly a problem in America.

As a person of middle age, I’m particularly interested in that special belly fat that plagues the over-50 set. This is different from normal belly fat because it’s largely caused by hormonal changes. You can eat right and exercise often and still have to throw out all your old pants and buy  new ones.

A main cause for this later-in-life body shift is that your hormones begin to diminish and they start slacking off on their job of directing your body fat to the lower regions of your body such as your thighs. The fat is then allowed to congregate in your mid-section instead.

Another cause of the increase in mid-body fat is the slow loss of muscle mass that begins after about age 30. 

Are you depressed yet? The best thing for depression and for body fat, of course, is exercise and a healthy diet. The AARP website recommends that for every decade you are over 40, you should reduce your calorie intake by 100. I find that a little vague and hard to figure out, but the essential message is that you should eat less as you age, and that what you eat should be healthier and higher in fiber. 

You’re also supposed to exercise more, of course. Interval training is recommended. I’ve been doing intervals lately and they are great for two reasons: 

One is that your body seems to respond better to working really hard for about a minute and then working more moderately for the next three minutes, then ramping it up again for a minute. I’ve been doing this on the stationary bike about three times a week at 20 minutes per outing. It helps.

The other is that it’s just less boring to do intervals than regular exercise.

If you know me, you’re probably thinking that it’s silly for me to worry about working out; I’m moderately fit and a little extra fat won’t kill me.

Or will it? According to the Mayo Clinic and other reputable online websites, there is a type of belly fat that is particularly unhealthy, and that fat can accumulate even if you’re basically fit. 

There is subcutaneous fat, which is the kind that you can pinch. It’s unhealthy but only in a general way.  

Then there is visceral fat, which is fat that grows around your internal organs and can interfere with, for example, the ability of your heart and your liver to do their work. That’s the fat you need to fight.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a real targeted way to get at that fat. All you can do is eat right and exercise in a meaningful way.